The Cornerstone. Newsletter of Rolling Hills United Methodist Church Crenshaw Blvd. Rolling Hills Estates, CA January 4, 2007

Transcription

1 The Cornerstone Newsletter of Rolling Hills United Methodist Church Crenshaw Blvd. Rolling Hills Estates, CA January 4, 2007 Thank You from Toberman Staff & Kids The following excerpts from notes from our friends at Toberman Settlement House tell us of their gratitude for the gifts this church provided over Christmas... your donations made many, very happy children and gave parents relief from having to purchase gifts when struggling to pay rent. M. Perez, Barton Hill Neighborhood Org. Thank you for the presents you gave us. It made me feel happy that I at least got one present. -George Thank you for the gift certificate (for me) and the toy for my brother, Alexander. My name is Rosalie. (This note was accompanied by a drawing of a Christmas tree from Alexander and a Christmas star from Rosalie, who added, sorry, not a great artist, but Picasso couldn t have done better). The staff of the Family Development Network unit (of Toberman) send our warmest appreciation to each individual that provided our unit with these so-needed gifts. We provide services to over 150 families, many who are at the poverty level and depend on organizations to help with gifts for their children. The FDN staff Thank you for all the gum balls. Thank you for the watch. I hope you have a good Christmas. -Unsigned from a child at the child care center. On behalf of the youth, I want to express my sincere thanks for the wonderful gift certificates you, the church members, gave to our kids. Even though they are teenagers, with difficult lives and many challenges, they are still children. Pilar Ruddell, Program Dir., Bridges Program Know that each gift brought smiles of delight and joy into the hearts of staff and parents. Thank you so much. - Sharon, Program Manager, Toberman Learning Center. These notes should definitely give us all a lift in spirit to begin We wish you and the Toberman families a year of many blessings. from the pastor I think the last real resolution I made and kept was many years ago now. It was I will not make any more New Year s resolutions. I ve been pretty good about it as far as I can remember I haven t slipped even once! I know, I know. That makes me seem like a New Year s Scrooge. Bah, humbug. More reasonable people would point out that a new year is a great time to begin new habits, or lay aside some of the old ones. I m sure that s true for lots of people. But I found that my own resolutions were often based more on wish-fulfillment than any real plan to change course. The others were easily forgotten Did I say that?

2 The Bible is full of support for making new beginnings in our lives. Isaiah invites us to sing to the Lord a new song. That same call is heard throughout the Psalms. And in Revelation we encounter the One who sits on the heavenly throne and says Behold, I make all things new. So I m not against renewal, either in our behavior or in our hearts and minds. I m all for us discovering new ways to live and grow. It s a part of normal growth and development. It s an integral part of our faith. But I ve also found that growth and change aren t always easy. And even when I think I m making progress I discover that I still have a long way to go. I get stuck in old habits, old ideas. They may have worked well once, but something else would be healthier now. There s no doubt that 2006 was a tough year for many in our congregation. We lost a number of good friends and are still reckoning with their absence from our lives. It was also a time of grace and hope, as people came together to offer support and care. I know that we grew through and from those experiences, but I often think it was growth I d rather have done without. It s hard for me to look ahead without remembering those lives, and the dignity and grace they embodied. On the other hand, it is in such times that we may really discover what it means to be the community of faith. We want to believe that our faith makes a difference in the world. We want to believe that our lives count. In 2006 we got to see that in so many, many ways. As we look to the year ahead, I know that there will be more growth coming. Some of it will be the joyful kind. Some of it will stretch us in ways we didn t expect. But I do know, and need to remember, that no matter what comes God will be with us in all that is new. That is the promise. I d still hate to break the last successful New Year s resolution I ever made. Maybe I ll look ahead to Lent to make some changes this year. Grace and peace, Children s Ministries Thank You for Buying See s Christmas Candy! Thank you to all the people who bought See s candies over the holidays! Because of your generosity we raised over $500 toward the church van expenses. Thank You s All Around for the Children s Christmas Eve Production It was the largest participation we have ever had by the kids and they did a wonderful job! Thank you so much to all who organized and helped at the 4:00 p.m. service Christmas Eve. Special thanks to Lisa Williams and Jan Johnson for their help in organizing and conducting the event and to Jennifer Miceli, Sonja Rojko, Tara Bartlett, Allison Scot, Silvia Hanhart, Melissa Doherty, Beth Meyerhoff, Ashley Arthur, Lisa Pope, Sarah Benesh, Therisa Kellman, Cheri Bailiff, Bob Jones, Debbie Stadler and Ron McCoy for their assistance in the rehearsal and service itself. Last but not least, thank you to the children and youth who participated in reading, singing, and creating the Nativity! Lisa Lehman, Director of Children s Ministries lisa@rhumc.org

3 New Directories Available You can get your new church Directory from a table in the Narthex, from the Welcome Center, and from the church office. For those who haven t already signed up to do so, you may receive our monthly newsletter, THE CORNERSTONE, by an link to our web site. Just Maureen@rhumc.org to subscribe. Health & Wellness Report The Anti-inflammatory Diet Inflammation is a normal process in the body that can help with healing, think about an infected finger or toe. Normal inflammation is the healing system s response to localized injury. Abnormal inflammation extends beyond its appointed limits in space and time. It spreads to areas of the body that have not experienced injury or attack, and does not end when the process that started it is resolved. The inflammatory process unleashes some of the immune systems incredible weaponry including enzymes that can rupture cell walls and digest vital components of cells and tissues. When inflammation escapes the normal body control, it targets normal tissues, it is abnormal and promotes disease rather than healing. Auto immune diseases are marked by unchecked inflammation. Diseases that fall in this category include type 1 diabetes, rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and atherosclerosis. Some of the so called functional diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome may be caused by micro inflammation throughout the GI tract. The most obvious dietary connection to inflammation and the one that has been most publicized concerns fats. In general, the hormones synthesized from omega-6 fatty acids upregulate inflammation, while those made from omega-3s have an opposite effect. Omega-6 fatty acids are readily available in the diet. Unfortunately, the starting materials for the anti-inflammatory pathway, the omega-3s, are harder to come by. SIMPLE RULES Aim for variety, minimize consumption of processed food. Include as much fresh food as possible, lots of fruits and vegetables. Consume caloric intake to maintain appropriate weight, including 40-50% from carbs, 30% from fats, and 20-30% protein. Eat more whole grains, beans, winter squashes, and sweet potatoes. Use butter, olive oil, or natural butter substitutes that are made semisolid by emulsification rather than by hydrogenation. Avoid fried food in restaurants, especially fast-food places. The oils in the fryers will contain oxidized fats. Train your nose to detect rancidity: do not use any food that smells rancid. Minimize the use of polyunsaturated vegetable oils, such as safflower, sunflower, corn, sesame, and soy. They are more likely to oxidize and go rancid than monounsaturated oils like olive and canola oils. Buy oils in smaller rather than larger quantities and protect them from exposure to air, light, and heat. Never heat oils to the point of smoking. Never reuse oils that have been heated to high temperatures. Never breathe the smoke of oils heated to high temperatures.

4 Use expeller- or cold-pressed oils. Use extra-virgin olive oil; other kinds, like light olive oil, have been chemically refined and are not as healthy. Decrease consumption of animal protein except for fish and reduced-fat dairy products. Eat more vegetable protein, especially from beans and soybeans. Become familiar with the range of soy foods to find ones you like. Eat 40 grams of fiber a day by increasing consumption of fruit, especially berries, vegetables (especially beans), and whole grains. Choose fruits and vegetables from all parts of the color spectrum, especially berries, tomatoes, orange and yellow fruits, and dark leafy greens. Choose organic produce whenever possible. Eat cabbage family vegetables regularly. Drink tea, especially white, green or oolong. If you drink alcohol, use red wine preferentially. Enjoy plain dark chocolate in moderation. Drink 6 8 glasses of pure water daily. For more information on the anti-inflammatory diet and suggested supplements, see The article is from Healthy Aging by Andrew Weil and condensed by Nina Bradbury, RHUMC Parish Nurse. School Out Day for PV Schools Monday, January 29, Kid Zone Open All Day 7:30 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Join us for a fun filled day of games and activities. We will go to the park in the morning and be back at Kid Zone in the afternoon. To register, please call Classes Start week of January 8 We have something for just about everyone. Karate classes on Monday, Dance classes on Monday and Tuesday, Art classes on Tuesday and Thursdays for a class schedule please call Hurry classes fill up fast! Elementary and Pre-School LOGOS begins again on January 10 from 3:30 5:30 p.m. You are welcome to join us at any time throughout the year. For Those Who Have Lost Loved Ones in Recent Years A Bereavement Group 6 Sundays 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. February 18,25; March 4, 11, 18, 25 Facilitated by Wendi Russsell, MS Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Family Ministries invites those who have lost loved ones in recent years to attend this group led by licensed therapist Wendi Russell. Each of the six sessions will meet from 3:30 to 5 pm. in the Mission Room. Following each session, participants are invited to share a light dinner in the Family Ministries office before the 5:30 worship service. (Optional) There is no cost to attend the group, but pre-registration is required and the group will be limited to 10 people. Childcare is available by request. To register, please call Cindy Skale at ext. 105 or cindy@rhumc.org.

5 Scrabble on Sunday January 14 th 3-5 pm Family Ministries invites Scrabble players young and old - and at every level of play - to an afternoon of fun. We ll meet in the Mission Room from 3 to 5 for Scrabble, Scrabble Junior, or any other board game you d care to bring. At 5 o clock everyone is invited to adjourn to the kitchen for dinner from Subway. Bring your Scrabble games and dictionaries with you. We ll have drinks and light snacks on hand. A reservation is not required, but calling to let us know you re planning to come will help us with the set up. Need childcare to attend? It s available by advance request. Call Cindy Skale at ext. 105 or cindy@rhumc.org. See you there. Diversity, Religious Tolerance and World Peace A lecture by Dr. Arik Greenberg Sunday, February 11 th, 7 pm L. Arik Greenberg, Ph.D. received his education from Wesleyan University, Claremont School of Theology, and Claremont Graduate University. Dr. Greenberg s specialties are early Christianity and New Testament Scripture. His lectures have been called part Bible-study and part history lesson and are a testament to the importance of religious diversity. He inspires people of all ages to come to a greater understanding of their own religious traditions as well as those of others. This lecture is sponsored by the Purposeful Readers book group. See article below for (optional) suggested reading prior to the lecture. There is no cost to attend. Childcare is available with advance request. To reserve childcare please call ext Purposeful Readers Discuss The River of God on January 28th For those who enjoy reading background information prior to a lecture, the Purposeful Readers has just the opportunity for you. We invited our upcoming lecturer Dr. Arik Greenberg to suggest a book that would offer a preview of his February lecture. His suggestion, The River of God by Gregory J. Riley, will be the subject of our Purposeful Readers discussion on Sunday, January 28th at 6:30 pm in Aldersgate Room. The book is available on Amazon.com. To order a copy through Family Ministries, please call Cindy at ext. 105 or cindy@rhumc.org.

6 Interfaith Discovery Series Continues Its Sixth Year January 9 The Dawn Unity Group's widely-followed Interfaith Discovery Series will continue with the second program in its sixth season at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 9, at St. Peter s by the Sea Presbyterian Church, 6410 Palos Verdes Drive South, Rancho Palos Verdes. Dealing With Apparent Contradictions in Sacred Texts will be discussed by four distinguished panelists, Rabbi Charles Briskin of Temple Beth El, Rev. Dr. Clayton Cobb of St. Peter s by the Sea Presbyterian Church, Rev. Dr. Reinhard Krauss of St. Luke s Presbyterian Church, and Rev. John Morehouse of Pacific Unitarian Church. The discussion promises to be lively, and, as always, we will learn how other traditions and clergy deal with questions many of us have pondered. Each evening symposium is free to the community. Refreshments and the opportunity for a social hour will follow after the presentation concludes at 9 p.m. More information can be obtained by calling (310) Betty Lukas to Address Ruth Circle January 10 th By Mary Rambach At our meeting on Wednesday, January 10, the Ruth Circle is pleased to have as a guest speaker our own church member Betty Lukas, who is a retired news editor of the Los Angeles Times. Her presentation is very appropriate timing as it coincides with this month s celebration of the Times 125 th year of publication. Both long before her 18 years at the Times and since retirement, Betty has also written for the Palos Verdes Peninsula News and continues to write Profiles for Peninsula People. She is a docent in the Local History Room at the Palos Verdes Library, for which she writes a monthly column that appears in the P.V. Peninsula News. Betty also served for 5 years as publicity director for the Dawn Unity Group, a sponsor of the successful Interfaith Discovery Series in which Jonathan has played such a prominent part. All are most welcome to come and hear what promises to be a most interesting presentation by this accomplished woman. We meet at 10:30 in the Mission Room and if you d like to join us for lunch at a local restaurant immediately following the meeting, please call Joy Crail at to make a reservation. And Now a Brief Word from Club Maintenance The January Club Maintenance work party will start at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 13. Your help is appreciated. Questions? Please call Oren Sheldon at

7 Basketball Update I made a 1,600 minus 800 minus 200 on the SAT, so I'm very intelligent when I speak. Shaquille O Neal Whatever your SAT score may be, you are all welcome to have some fun playing basketball! All that matters here is scoring baskets! But if you feel so inclined, you can compare SAT scores with each other. We play on Thursday nights or Saturday afternoons in Wesley Hall. Our schedule for January is: Thursday, January 4 th, 6-8 pm Thursday, January 11 th, 6-8 pm Thursday, January 18 th, 6-8 pm Thursday, January 25 th, 6-8 pm Saturday, January 6 th, 2-4 pm Saturday, January 13 th, 2-4 pm Saturday, January 20 th, 2-4 pm Saturday, January 27 th, 2-4 pm If you would like to be sent reminders/updates regarding our schedule via , please forward your address to John Kwan at john@rhumc.org. The schedule can also be found on the church calendar on our website ( We look forward to seeing you there! SHORT-HANDED AT THE THRIFT SHOP Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 10:00-2:00, the Toberman Thrift Shop provides a real service to the many disadvantaged residents nearby. Low prices help defray costs for the trailer temporarily awaiting the opening of the shop in the new building some time next fall. The shop, located in San Pedro, is sponsored by the Toberman Women s Auxiliary. Our church has been providing staff on Tuesdays, but after years of dedicated service, one of our teams is retiring, and replacements are needed. Would you like to give it a try? You would be working with one of our seasoned regulars until you are familiar with the routine. If your location permits, you can carpool from the church to save on a parking space. It s never boring at the Thrift Shop! New donations are always coming in, and new people coming in with needs for themselves, their children, and their households. Our team is coordinated by Phyllis Goetz. Please give her a call at (310) or at Goetzrk1@cox.net if you would like to talk about donating your time. Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. Voltaire Dear Friends, The church staff wishes to thank you all for your generous gifts to us this Christmas season. Appreciation is a two-way street and each of us feels fortunate to be in a position to serve this congregation where so many good things are happening. We look forward to another year of growth, discovery, fellowship, and fun! Love, Your church staff

8 Invitation to the New Testament Disciple Short-Term Class For the first time we are offering a shortened version of the Disciple Bible Study course. It is based on the long-term class, but lasts only nine weeks and will start this month. There are no pre-requisites for this class where you will learn more about our Christian Scriptures, Jesus and the early church. The Bible will be our primary text, with a Participant Book to provide additional information. Each session includes two video segments in which contemporary theologians share information and give insight to the historical setting of the Bible passages. The first session will be an orientation meeting where the program will be explained in detail and books issued. Then we will have eight subsequent meetings of 1 ½ hours each, which will include group discussion. The cost is $10 for the book no other costs are involved with the class. And, yes, there is homework but you won t mind honest! We are offering one morning class and one evening class, the exact day of which will be determined by the availability of participants, teachers, and space. Look for Elaine Klessig s table on the patio after services on Sunday mornings if you wish more information or to sign up. Or, you may call Elaine at Gathering of Newcomers Slated for Late January Every 6-8 weeks or so we have a get-together for people who are newer to the congregation so that you can get to know each other better, find out more about Rolling Hills United Methodist Church, and further explore membership in this church. The exact date is yet to be determined, but will be a Sunday after second service, with membership reception the following Sunday. Lunch will be served and child care will be available upon request. Please call Kim Hall at , ext. 107 if you would like to be included. Senior Pastor Jonathan Chute Assoc. Pastor.John Kwan Family Ministries.Cindy Skale Children s Ministries..Lisa Lehman Kid/Mid Zone Director..Lisa Williams Jr. High Youth....Candace Saxman Sr. High Youth. Jennifer Foltz Preschool Director Myra Ghabrial Parish Nurse..Nina Bradbury Custodian.Miguel Portillo Church Office Phone Fax Line Web Site. Music Director Chuck Dickerson Organist/Pianist.....Althea Waites Bell Choir....Debbie Stadler Patti MacLeod.3 rd Service Ensemble Admin. Secretary.Maureen Banasky Admin. Asst. to Pastor.....Kim Hall Asst. Secretary.Carol Berthelet Treasurer Judy Krehbiel Bookkeeper..Nicole Zakman Facility Manager....Gene Koester Technical Director Roger Maddaford Resident Bishop...Mary Ann Swenson District Superintendent Lily Villamin SUNDAY WORSHIP HOURS 8:30 & 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Monday -Thursday 9 4:30; Friday 9-3 Next Cornerstone deadline is Wednesday, January 24, 07